MINEHEAD Lawn Tennis Club rounded off its annual competitions with a memorable finals day, as brilliant sunshine, high-quality tennis and a large, enthusiastic crowd created a lively atmosphere - both on and off the courts.

Club coach Aaron Flamson organised the event, bringing together a programme of finals that was the culmination of a series of closely fought matches.

Bunting decorated the clubhouse veranda, while Sue Beresford set up scoreboards on each court for matches to be followed. Barbecues, plus tables and chairs were put in place, and off-court entertainment included table tennis provided by Jane Hart, setting the scene for the pinnacle of the club’s annual tennis calendar.

Spectators — including members, visitors and several dogs brought along for the occasion — cheered on the players throughout the day. The event reflected the club’s place in the community and its broad range of playing standards, from relative beginners to county-level competitors. Food was plentiful, with members contributing dishes alongside a barbecue and a few celebratory glasses of wine.

Main Competition results, men’s singles: Ken Holroyd faced Aaron Flamson in a hard-hitting contest between two of the club’s leading players. Flamson prevailed in straight sets 2–0.

Ladies’ singles: Multiple competition winner Judy Kay made a flying start against Theresa Finglass, taking the opening set. Finglass rallied in the second, but Kay held on to secure another trophy.

Men’s doubles: Aaron Flamson and George Crane took the first set against Paul Tucker and Peter Stephens, but Tucker and Stephens fought back in the second to force a deciding tie-break. Only a handful of points separated the pairs before Tucker and Stephens emerged as winners.

Ladies’ doubles: Theresa Finglass and Katherine Tilke defeated Clare Pound and Judy Kay in another third-set tie-break, with just two points separating the teams. Played alongside the men’s doubles on adjacent courts, the match left spectators trying to follow two enthralling contests at once.

Mixed doubles: Alex Tomlinson and Katherine Tilke claimed the opening set against Peter Stephens and Caroline Bayley. The experienced Stephens and Bayley partnership responded by taking the second set and then the deciding third-set tie-break.

Further Honours • Dott Red Championship: David Hillier and Valerie Hughes defeated Tony Williams and Sarah Fox. • Ladies’ third-place play-off: Mandy Godsell defeated Maggie Greatorex. • Men’s Plate: Rick Boxer defeated George Crane. • Men’s Doubles Plate: Virnie Villanuueva and Andy Fay defeated Tony Williams and Alex Tomlinson.

Club members went above and beyond to make the day a success. Special thanks were given to Aaron Flamson for organising the tournament and bringing such enthusiasm to the event, to Susan Beresford for helping make the occasion feel special, to Sue Taphouse for arranging the trophies despite recently undergoing major hip replacement surgery, and to Chris Richards for serving as the official photographer and taking the time to edit and print the photographs for everyone to enjoy on display.

If you are interested in playing tennis at Minehead, visit the club’s website https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/MineheadLTC for contact details or join the Minehead club at Rusty Rackets on Saturdays from 2.00 in the afternoon.

The session welcomes players of all standards, and non-members may attend for a small fee. The Minehead club also have a pay and play facility for non-members.